“Gurren Lagann” is one of those shows that’s best just accepted instead of questioned. If you look for logic in a lot of events that happen here, you might as well be a pompous douche and write an essay on why time-travel in “Back to The Future” is illogical. Granted, it’s not a particularly clever show. In fact, it’s very stupid, but I can’t call it stupid for the simple truth that it knows what it is very well. So “ingenious” is the word I’ll use. Simply put, “Gurren Lagann” is the most epic anime show I’ve ever witnessed, and I mean in scale and sheer scope. There’s really nothing else that comes close to the ludicrously gigantic nature of this series. So when you have robots so big, that they’re literally throwing around entire galaxies like frisbies… yeah, that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Going hand-in-hand with this show’s “so epic, it will kill your grandchildren” factor is the insane action. The action is fast-paced, incredibly animated, and very fluid. I can’t describe the action much more than that because it has a very unique sense of style to it, almost like a manga artist that tripped acid and decided to animate it. It’s balls-to-the-wall, gut-wrenching stuff. Seriously, there’s points where I could’ve easily facepalmed at how far-fetched the concept tends to go, such as a giant robot piloting a giant robot that’s piloting an even bigger robot that’s piloting the biggest robot you could possibly imagine on a universal scale. But the show convinces you of its ludicrous nature so well, that you just begin to accept it at some point and go along for the ride.
Character-wise is also where this show ultimately shines. Simon, our main protagonist, is a lovable little loser with emotional issues in the beginning of the series, but as time progresses, we witness him turn into one of the most badass characters in all of anime (takes notes, Shinji Ikari, pre-Evangelion 2.0). He easily has one of the most compelling and outright awesome character arcs I’ve ever seen, and his development is like watching your own child grow up. Then there’s Kamina, Simon’s older brother (kinda), who looks out for him but also has balls of steel. Hiis impact is felt throughout the entire series as characters constantly remind us why he was so bloody awesome. To be honest, he really is. And while I didn’t find him as great of a character as Simon, he gave the show a much needed emotional weight, especially when… you know… I’m just gonna stop talking about him now… Yoko is the final character of the main three. I personally didn’t care much for her character. Ultimately, while she does have plenty of relevance to the first half of the show, she just eventually amounts to a pair of boobs bouncing around the screen for the sake of having all the manly testosterone balanced with fan service. Also, she gets thrown around as a love interest more times in the course of the series than a stripper on a busy day, making her a seem very unmotivated for the most part. Anyway, she serves her purpose then leaves, so we can instead focus on Simon being a badass.
All in all, I had great fun with “Gurren Lagann”. It does come with it’s flaws, such as a few characters who are just flat-out despicable (*cough* Rossiu *cough*), but in the bulk of the things it gets right, these flaws seem like fickle nitpicks. When the show wants to be awesome, it transcends everything you’ve ever likely seen before, and presents some of the most gravity-defying, genre-breaking action. It shoves a middle finger in the face of logic, and you should too. Because “Gurren Lagann” is EPIC. EPIC. EPIC. Even saying it three times in caps lock doesn’t seem to cut it either…
